Means for separating fluids of different specific gravities



Nov; 8, v1932. L. M. JACKSON 3386,68@

MEANS FOR SEPARATING FLUID-S OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVTES Filed Dec. 4,195o A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 '.tonnrn 1u. JACKSON, or commises, .oiaio i l" A yMEANS Fort snrn'ne'rrne rLUrns or nrrrnniinr sr'rxorrro eranvr'rrnsnppneationeied December 4, i930.- sel-iai Noaooari `This inventionrelates to means for separation of water and other impurities from crudepetroleum and products of petroleum when said petroleum and or theproducts thereof ,.5 are of a specific gravity which is less than wateror the other impuritieswhich are desired to be removed from said crudepetroleum or the products thereof. i Y 1 ,p

It is a well known fact that much ofthel crudev petroleum and theproducts thereof which are extracted from the continental United Stateshavel a specific gravity which is less than water, thus causing thewater in the petroleum or the products thereof to settle .to the bottomof a container in which said petroleum or the products thereof come torest and are stored fora `.short length of time, and it'is an obj ect ofthis invention, working under the laws'of the difference of the specificgravity of the crude or refined petroleum and watenor other: impurities,tol'devise. means whereby the watervwill be automaticallyremoved fromthe petroleum vorthe, products thereof, said mechanism automatically eX-pelling the water or other impurities which have" a vspecific gravity igreater than the zpetroleum or 4the products-thereof and also at 4thesame time expelling the petroleumor the products thereof through anotherchannelv and also receiving` continuously a fresh supply oftheunseparated petroleum orthe prodnotent-thereofY with fits impuritiesinto the ljdevice. y f

. Some of the objectsiof invention Iing been stated, otherA objects willappear as the description proceeds when taken in connection ,with theaccompanying drawing, in

'which-L i l V- 4 I 'Figure 1 in tl'le'drawlng 1s a vertical cross-.f'fQ sectional view, taken along ,a lvertical line through the deviceat approximately the center thereof.

Figure2 is a vertical sectional viewl taken along theline 2in Figure 1thru the valve`20.

Referring more specifically-to the drawing, 17 indicates a tank,preferably circular, which has a` lid portion l with a central open-`'ing member 5w and a lidV 5 for-this central o pening,zandsecured tothe memberi 5a and the lower portion of the .lid 4V are aplurality ofbraces 6 which extendvoutwardly radially n .to form a reinforcement tothis lid member 4. Nearthe topf-,of the y tank are a plurality ofoutlets 7. These outlets are for draining away. the fluid of lightspeoic gravity. Dis- 55 `posed-within theptank-and fittingv against theinnersurface thereof are a plurality, of members 36, preferablycircular, which are imbeddedina pluralityy of vertically disposedmembers 17', preferablyof angle iron, 00

the members and v16 forming a framework immediately within the tank 17..Disposed vparallel relationfto members 16 are a plurality of upstandingmembers 16a which are connected tolcmembers 16 by. a plurality of 65brace members 34 and 35, said members 16a flaring outwardly and upwardlyat the upper Y end thereof, and the upper ends are secured to the upper`ends of members 16, these pori Vtions y serving as a cradle or supportfora i funnel memberthe upper portion of which is designated byreference character V3 and the lower portion designated by referencev,character 2 which funnel member immediately above the junctionportions of. 2`and 3 75' has a spider composed of members 10 and 10asecured ."therein,V with a central passage-way vertically-disposedtherein n for the reception of cylinder. `Secured to members 16a andprojecting inwardly are a pluralityof pr@Y 9 jectionsy 31 in which arelixedly secured a pluralityof vertically disposed guiding members 22,there beingk at yleast four of these :members 22 which are adapted toserve as a track,upon,which floatl movesandthis float t .has a pluralityof projections 18 secured to the rexteriorthereof, which are, pierced bymembers 22 in such a manner as to allow sliding movementfof'members 18Aon members 22.

This float member 1 comprises a rolled portion 13 at the upper endthereof and a member 13er is secured v'in `anair,v tight manner toVtheinteriorside walls of float 1 by suitable lmeans such as rivets ,41,forming a compartment 13?) for the receptionof a buoyant fluid I throughvalve"83 and is compartment 13b when-.filled entirely witha buoyant Huidsuch as. air. wouldrbetoo buoyant, then a suitable heavier fluid such,vas oil may be injected into v this compartment toimpart the properbuoythrough exits 14a.

ancy to the entire oat 1. This float-has a spider member composed ofplurality of vanes 15 and 15a secured on the interior lower portion offloat 1 and to this spider member is secured a rod 12 as at 12a, whichhas, on the upper end thereof, a pumping mechanism 11 v composed of -aplurality of cups orV any other suitable pumping-means which has areciprocatory motion irl-cylinder 49 as the float 1 rises and falls. y

The lower end of portion Qihfs a`plurality `of vertically and radiallydisposed -vfanes 14 which lead to a plurality of exits 14a, so that thelower end of portion2 being closed except for the exits 14a, the intakeof the fluid into the portion 8 of the funnelfwill not affect unduly-theaction of the float becausethe incoming lfluid will be ldivertedlaterally Connected to the upper end ofpump cylinder 9 which issupported linthe hub portion formed by spiders-10and 10a 'isareducingelbow 39`to which is connected a pipe '8, `which leads to aconnection-38, which is connected over a hole'onY the inside of funnelportion 3 and over the outside'surface of this hole is secured a similarmember 37I to which is connected a pipe 23a, which in turn is connectedto a check valvefQBand apipe 28aleads from the lower sidefof said checkvalve to a strainer 28Y in close proximity `vto the bottom of the tank.Y Y

"To the Ylower end of-ioat A1 issecured a member 19 and also -a valvev20,-said valve i 20h-ailing the pipe 28 connected therewith,

Ywhich is connectedto flexible fj'oint 21-and pipe 21o is connected tothis flexiblejoint, and the other end thereof is'connecte'dtofflexiblejoint-27' which int-urn is connected to pipe 27a, which leads in tohousingf 30` and lead- -ing from -valve vhousing B0 is apopipe "80awhich leads to the exterior of theta-n-ln-'and has a valve vthereinwith'dischargedpipe 306 secured atlthe other-side ffsaid val/Ve thereto.l A Y Pivotally secured on member 19 v-aslat19a is member 211 whichhas-a-'cam'surfacelia thereon, and this member 2d-*has Ia fslot124?)therein and pivotally secured inithe-lower portion of the. tank is an,air-111226 which has a roller 25aa't the Aupper endfthereof adapted tohave engagementwith-cam surface 24a and this-member26v also has aprojection 26a Yprojectingfrom oneside f thereof -an'd'alongusidemember24'w1th -a'-p1n`=26b secured in said proj eetion and proj ecti'ngintoslot 24?). Secured in members-26 -and'FQ/iflare the` pins 25o and '25don which"A are secured-ae tension spring 25, the purpose ofisai'd'tension spring to normally holdthepartsinlthe position shown.lThe lower end vof-member124 is adapted to slide ialong cam surfacel26b-when the roller 125m movesA along camjsurface 24a. -A suitabledrain29 is`1 providedfat the low- Ver portion-of the'tank 17. Y

If desired, a suitable emulsilication agent can be placed within tank 17and also into float 1, and crude petroleum or its products or any otherfluid which has a specific grav ity, lighter than water, and from whichforeign matter having a greater specific gravity :is desired to beremoved fis continuously poured-into intake'portion .5a :with lid 5`being removed, and this fluid is directed downwardly into funnelportion 3 through portion?J Vand'is divided into a plurality of columnsby vanes land is ,deected laterally through exits 14a where it entersinto float1,-and -asitank -lbecomes filled to a predetermined degree,the foreign matter of greater specific lgravitysettlesto the bottomoffloat 1, `and with ya :proper.adjustmentof the buoyancy, 4it isintended Ithiatiloat 1 may be entirely filled andthefluid will-continuetooverflow to'ill tank 17 and )this Weight l of the float :in tank A1'will inet cause =itto move downwardly iuntil ya predetern'iined amountof the foreignmatter of greateivspeciic gravity than thepetroleumior.products thereof, `.has -settlcd in .the bottomv of; float u1, kandwhen this occurs, thel trip :joints-support .formed of members 24and-:26 and .associated ports, will tripand float 1 -willfmovevdownwardly :until Vits bottoml almost touches the bottom of tank 117,and `iwhenntliis occurs, :valves .2O vwill .be opened by means oftthemoving :of .pipes 20a, 21a .sand127a and ithe 'matter of greaterspecificgravity ,fatathe bottomoff'float 1 ,Willpass outwardly :through pipes30azand 305 until float .:1 becomes; light- -ened on. account of Ltheexpelling ofitheLforeign matter :of heavy specific ..gravlity, iatwhich'cime' the' buoyancyl ofafioat. 1- will :cause itfto again rise tothe ipositionashown .-.in the drawing. 1

.'Itsmight be 'stated that duringathe. downfwardwmovement offloatrl thatcups 11"will 'travel downwardly .in pipe -.;or cylinder :"9.

nThis will draw fluid fromv the extreme i botrtom of1tank`17-intofloat1.' Asfit will happen that A'foreign matter of greater specificl gravitywill settleinfthe bottom-'offtanklj' by means of this arrangement, noton'lywill escape vthrough-float 1 will' be broughtback into the vioatagain and again, if necessary,

.until lit L is Vvexpelled "from the `float through the lowerend'rt-heref. v u -The above described operation maylconvicesmaybeinstal-led separately orl in ser-ies,

or: petroleumy products, to' pass4v through the y wabove describedmechanismi before .rit oisofex- `tinue indefinitely as a. constantintake may be ,provi'ded. Therefore, little Aor .no attention will berequired, and a plurality ofthese de- Ypelled through outlet pipes 7into suitable storage tanks. i.

Members 20 and 46 are welded to opposite surfaces of tank l forming acoinciding opening 45 communicating with a transverse opening in whichis rotatably mounted pipe 20a, said pipe 20a being pluggedl as at 47 atone end and having an opening 48 adapted tol register' with opening 45when tank -1 is moved downwardly. Pipe 20a is held in position forrotation in casing 20 by means of a projection 49 being counter-shrunkon pipe 20a and a nut 50 being threadably secured near the end of pipe20a.

In the drawing and specification, there has' been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms have beenemployed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and notfor purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forthin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a. device for separating liquids, a tank, a vertically slidabletank in the first tank, an air-tight compartment associated with thesecond tank, the second tank being open at the top, means closing thetop of the first tank and projecting into the open upper end of thesecond tank, means for admitting a liquid through the top of the firsttank and through said closing means into the second tank, a passagewayleading from the bottom of the second tank to the exterior of the firsttank, means for closing said passageway when the second tank is inelevated position, means for opening said passageway when the secondtank is in lowered position, and means for elevating liquids from thebottom of the first tank into the said second tank.

2. In a device for separating water from petroleum and its products, atank, a vertically slidable floating tank mounted in the first tank,buoyant means associated with the fioating tank and means for regulatingthe 1 buoyancy of said buoyant means, means for discharging liquid fromthe bottom of the floating tank when the whole of the liquid in theoating tank attains a predetermined specific gravity, said buoyant meansserving to return the fioating tank to normal elevated position in thesaid tank, and means'operable by the floating tank for raising fluidfrom the bottom of the first tank into the floating tank.

3. In a mechanism for separating water from other liquids having a lowerspecific gravity than water comprising a tank adapted to be normallylled with liquid, a floating tank immersed in the first tank, means formounting the oating tank for Vvertical movement within the first tank,buoyant means associated with the floating tank and means for regulatingthe buoyancy of the oating tank, means for leading a liquid into thefloating tank to ll the same and overflow to lill the first tank, exitmeans for allowing the liquid of a low specic gravity to How from theupper portion of the first tank, means associated with the lower portionof the floating tank for draining liquid from the bottom of the floatingtank to the exterior of the iirst tank whensaid ioating tank sinksdownwardly in the lirst tank due to an increase in the weight of thefluid in thev full ioating tank, and means for pumping fluid from thelower portion of the first tank into the floating tank when the oatingtank moves downwardly in the first tank. p v

4. In a device for separating liquids of different specific gravities, atank '1 adapted to be normally filled with a liquid, a second tankmounted for vertical sliding movement in thefirst tank and being open atthe top, an air chamber associated with the second tank t means forleading a liquid into the top of the rst tank and into the second tank,means associated with the lower portion of the second tank for drainingliquid therefrom when the specilic gravity of the liquid in the secondtank rises to a predetermined point, means for pumping liquid from thebottom of the first tank into the second tank as said second tank movesdownwardly, and means for continuously expelling liquids of lowlspecific gralyity from the upper portion of the rst tan In testimonywhereof I affix my signature.

` LONNIE M. JACKSON.V

